Introduction

Ezekiel 38 details the second of the three "Gog and Magog" wars. This assault on the Israelites takes place some time early in Christ's Millennial Reign.

Discussion

1. The chiastic design of Ezekiel 38

We will use the NIV translation for this commentary. We have retranslated parts of the text.

2. A Commentary on Ezekiel 38

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince leading Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him.

This prophecy predicts the defeat of Gog and his army Magog when they attack the New Israel at some time during the early Millennial Reign.

Who is Gog? Gog is a title given to the leader ("prince") of Satan's forces around the time of the Millennial Reign.

Who is Magog? The Magog of this war is an international army that is led and dominated by the Chinese. Magog originally referred to the Mongols who had occupied parts of China - southern China was called Mangi, and both Mongol and Mangi are apparently derived from Magog (Magog can refer to the land or the people). The Chinese, who are the descendants of Meshek and Tubal (and some of the other patriarchs listed in Genesis 10:2-5), inherited the Magog name when they took over this region. ( Note that in a similar way, the Greeks were called Javans and parts Greece were called Kittim, where both Javan and Kittim are the names of Chinese tribes that originally occupied Greece - see Dan 11:2,30, Ezekiel 27:13 in Hebrew.)

The attacks on Israel by Gog and Magog - Satan's physical army at the time of the Millennial Reign - are predicted to occur in 3 distinct periods and at 3 different locations:

• At the start of the Millennial Reign, in the mountains outside the New Israel (Eze. 39, Rev 19:17-21, 14:14-20) (May 2027).
• Some time during the early Millennial Reign, in the New Israel (Eze. 38).
• At the end of the Millennial Reign, at the New Jerusalem (Rev 20:7-9,16:14-16) (c. 2967AD).

Note that all three "Gog and Magog" wars occur on the "mountains of Israel", but "mountains" refers to a different aspect of the new Israel in each case. In all three battles, "Magog" refers to an international alliance led by the Chinese, but Gog will be a different person in each battle.

3 Say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, the prince leading Meshek and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.

God incites Gog ("put hooks in your jaw") to stage this attack on the New Israel, as in the battle of Ezekiel 39. We believe this is not a physical army with literal weapons - this chapter is mostly figurative - and we believe this for a few reasons:

• During Christ's Millennial Reign, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, reigns on earth and so there will be no weapons or war (see Isaiah 2:3-4).
• The people of the New Israel seem to be unsure as to the purpose of this "army's" presence in the land - its intent would be clear if it was a literal army (vs 13).
• It is the business leaders that confront this invading army and not the political leaders (vs 13). So we propose that this is a battle involving business or technology, or a combination.

5 Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the sides of the north with all its troops—the many nations with you. 7 “‘Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them.

This list of tribes (see Gen 10:1-20 for tribe names) and regions from around the world seems to indicate that this army will be an international alliance of wicked individuals.

We speculate here on which peoples are represented by the names in this passage:

• The tribe of Magog, the leader of this "army", represents China and other East Asian peoples.
• Gomer represents the white people of the world.
• Cush and Put represent the black peoples around the world.
• Persia represents the region of Iran and central Asia. The people of this region are descendants of several races but have a strong Japhetic component to their genetic makeup. ( Note that Persia, and Beth Togarmah below, are the names of regions and not tribes; these regions are in this list probably because the people in them are a mix of several races.)
• The tribe of Togarmah is already covered under Gomer (Togarmah was a son of Gomer), but Beth Togarmah, which means "House of Togarmah", refers to the land that was originally occupied by Togarmah, apparently the region of Turkey and the Caucasus. They represent the Western Asia/Middle East region that is located at the north west ("sides of the north") of the New Israel. The genetic composition of this region has a strong Shemite component.

This list that covers almost all the people of the earth outside the New Israel serves as a good top level categorization of modern races. This is a list of races and not nations, indicating that this attack will not be led by the political leadership of the world.

8 After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.

After a period of preparation, the Magog army attacks the New Israel. This passage dates this war to some time early in Christ's Millennial Reign, after the Israelites have gathered from around the world (see Isaiah 11:11-12); they have recovered from the suffering and turmoil of the reign of the Beast (Rev. 13), and they have settled down into a new life in the New Israel under God's protection. The "mountains of Israel" refers to all of Israel in this chapter, and the word "mountains" is used to indicate that Israel is special as God's chosen nation. Israel had been "desolate" while the Israelites were being punished, but now "the mountains of Israel" once again form the blessed nation of God.

9 You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

The mammoth Gog and Magog "army" of this Period will cover the land like the shadow of a cloud.

10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.

Some time in the early Millennial Reign, God will incite the leader of the forces of evil, Gog, into an attack on an undefended Israel. At this time, the people of the New Israel have lax safeguards and security for their business/technology communities ("unwalled villages" without "gates and bars"), because they see no threat to their operations ("unsuspecting people") and because they live under the protection of God and Christ (see Zech 2:4-5).

This subunit continues from vs 8-9 in the corresponding subunit B1 above.

12 In order to plunder and loot and turn your hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the earth.”

The primary reason for this attack is to plunder the wealthy Israel. For the Israelites of this time, that have gathered from around the world, live in the most powerful, prosperous nation on earth, the figurative the centre of the world.

13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her magnates will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?”’

The people of the New Israel, represented by "Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish and all her magnates", sense that something is afoot, that this invading "army" intends to plunder and loot. We believe this war is related to business because it is the merchants and magnates that confront this "army" and not the political leadership; also the goal of this attack is to plunder and not to subjugate.

Who are the merchants of Tarshish? We believe that, around the time of Solomon, Tarshish referred to a port city, a great centre of commerce, in the land of Ophir/Uphaz (see 1 Kings 22:48) on India's Malabar Coast (Tarshish later referred to Carthage - see details in appendix of [2]). We believe this based on the unique cargo manifest and the frequency of the trips as detailed in 2 Chronicles 9:21 and 1 Kings 10:22. In this passage, the "merchants of Tarshish and all her magnates" represent the business community of the New Israel in India.

Who are Sheba and Dedan? The Sheba and Dedan referenced here are the tribes listed in Gen 10:6-7 as descendants of Ham (we don't believe they are the Sheba and Dedan of Gen 25:3 - Arab descendants of Abraham). We infer that these tribes were the original residents of parts of India based on the list of generous gifts that the queen of Sheba brought to Solomon (see 1 Kings 10:2,10-12); it also appears that 1 Kings 10:10-13 connects the queen to Ophir in south India. In this passage, these two ancient tribes of India, Sheba and Dedan, represent the people of the New Israel in India.

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the sides of the north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

The huge international army, led by Gog and Magog from the north east ("sides of the north") prepares to attack the New Israel. God incites this army into this attack so that, by thoroughly defeating Gog and Magog, He may display His power and deter any further attacks against Israel during the Millennial Reign.

17 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them.

Through His prophets, God had predicted that he would incite this attack from Gog and Magog. We are aware of no other prophecy in the Bible that predicts this particular war, so we believe that this passage refers to future prophecy made some time at the start of the Millennial Reign.

18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel.

At this assault from Gog and Magog, God's wrath will be kindled, and He will inflict a great punishment on this invading army ("there shall be a great shaking"), as detailed in the corresponding subunit B2 below.

20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.

With this defeat, the greatness of God is made manifest to the whole world, and so all nations ("the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field..." represent nations controlled by fallen angels, as in Daniel 7, Ezekiel 39:17) and people will fear the God of Israel. There will be great upheaval in the international business and technology world ("mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble...").

21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.

God supernaturally thwarts this assault by the Magog alliance. He sows discord among its people ("every man’s sword will be against his brother"), and severely punishes them (figuratively indicated by plague, bloodshed, hailstone...).

23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

With this defeat of this mighty army, the greatness of God is made manifest to the whole world.

References